Does pediatric bronchoscopy have any effect on children's health?

Bronchoscopy is an important method and means for the diagnosis and treatment of children's respiratory diseases. It is safe, non-invasive and intuitive. Bronchoscopy is helpful for observing and diagnosing the pathological conditions of children's bronchopulmonary diseases, collecting respiratory secretion specimens for testing, or performing interventional treatment on the patients, thus improving the diagnosis level of children's bronchial diseases.

1. Uses of Bronchoscopes in Children

1. Used for diagnosis. Children's bronchoscopes can be used to observe and diagnose children's bronchial conditions and provide diagnostic references for doctors. For example, through bronchoscope examination, you can observe the inflammation of the bronchi and trachea, as well as foreign bodies or tumors inside, to ensure the accuracy of the diagnosis.

2. For treatment. The use of pediatric bronchoscopes can also be used to treat respiratory diseases. For example, if a child's respiratory tract is blocked due to accidental inhalation of foreign objects, the foreign object can be removed using a bronchoscope. At the same time, if bleeding occurs in the trachea, a bronchoscope can also be used to stop the bleeding. In addition, a biopsy can be performed through a bronchoscope to analyze the condition and extent of the lesion.

3. For monitoring. If the child suffers from chronic bronchitis or asthma, the bronchoscope can be used to monitor the child's condition and adjust the treatment plan according to the changes in the condition.

2. Indications for Bronchoscopy in Children

1. Cough: If a child has an unexplained, long-term chronic cough and the cause cannot be determined by other methods, it is suspected to be caused by allergies or inhalation of foreign objects. A bronchoscope can be used to check for foreign objects.

2. Pneumonia: For recurrent pneumonia suspected to be caused by lung infection, bronchoscope can be used to observe the location of lung lesions, check the cause of the disease, and take effective treatment measures.

3. Hoarseness: If the patient has unexplained hoarseness, the location and extent of the lesion can be determined through bronchoscopy, and targeted treatment plans can be adopted.

4. Other symptoms: Some children may suffer from congenital airway malformations or laryngeal webs, and also need bronchoscopy to diagnose the disease and receive medication.

3. The impact of pediatric bronchoscopy on children's health

1. Damage to the respiratory mucosa. During pediatric bronchoscopy and treatment, the instrument needs to be inserted deep into the lungs of the child. The insertion and removal of the instrument may irritate the surrounding tissues, causing damage to the mucosa and inflammatory reactions. This may cause symptoms such as coughing or sputum. If the disease continues to develop, it may also cause breathing difficulties, chest tightness and other problems. Therefore, after completing a pediatric bronchoscopy, ensure that the child gets more rest to avoid fatigue that may worsen the child's symptoms.

2. Causing local infection in children. When using pediatric bronchoscopes, the bronchoscope needs to be inserted into the body of the child. If the operation or instrument disinfection is not thorough, or the operation is improper, it may cause bacterial infection and affect the child's work and daily life. Therefore, if a child wants to undergo a bronchoscopy, he must choose a regular hospital and have the operation performed by an experienced professional doctor to avoid accidental injury.

3. Anesthesia risks. During bronchoscopy in children, anesthetics are usually used to prevent them from moving around due to discomfort or pain. If an accident occurs during anesthesia, breathing may be inhibited or allergic reactions may occur, which may affect the child's health.

4. It can cause laryngeal edema in children. Children may also suffer from laryngeal edema during bronchoscopy, which can cause breathing difficulties and even suffocation in severe cases.

5. Cause bronchospasm in children. During bronchoscopy, the stimulation of foreign objects can easily cause bronchospasm, leading to hypoxia in children, and drugs are needed to alleviate the condition of the children.

6. It causes hoarseness in young children. Children’s vocal cords are fragile and are very likely to be damaged during bronchoscopy, causing hoarseness in the child’s voice.

IV. Contraindications of Bronchoscopy in Children

1. Children with severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction should not be examined and treated with pediatric bronchoscopy, such as children with valvular heart disease or pulmonary hypertension.

2. Children with severe coagulation disorders should not be examined and treated with pediatric bronchoscopy, such as children with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

3. Children with mental and psychological disorders should not be examined and treated with pediatric bronchoscopy, for example, if the child is severely anxious or suffers from a mental illness.

It can be seen that pediatric bronchoscopy has a relatively obvious effect on the examination and treatment of children's bronchial diseases, but if it is not operated properly, it is very easy to cause some complications. Therefore, during the bronchoscopic examination and treatment of children, they need to be evaluated in advance and performed by experienced professional doctors.

Author: Wu Qing: Gaozhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Maoming City, Guangdong Province